The state of Maryland recently approved a new scholarship program honoring the legacy of slain Bowie State University student, 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III. In May 2017, Collins was fatally stabbed on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park, just a few days before he was scheduled to graduate from Bowie State. The police classified the murder as a hate crime because the attacker was a White man who allegedly targeted Collins because he was Black.

In an effort to honor Collins legacy, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan approved legislation to establish the 2nd Lt. Richard W. Collins III Leadership with Honor Scholarship, which will be funded by the state with $1 million annually. Recipients must be eligible for in-state tuition, a member of a Reserve Officer Training Corps, a member of an underrepresented group in the ROTC and must attend a historically black college or university.

The scholarship will be split between Bowie State and Maryland’s three other historically Black universities: Morgan State University, Coppin State University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Officials at Bowie State University hope that the funds will enable the ROTC program at the university to grown from 85 students to 100 students.

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